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In Russia there are two types of Russian wedding ceremonies namely:
1. Orthodox/Church Wedding
The beautiful bride and groom stand inside the entrance of the church and the priest blesses them and gives them lighted candles which they will hold throughout the ceremony. The couple each has a witness who holds gold crowns above their heads as the ceremony takes place. The priest then says two brief prayers for the couple and the rings are blessed and placed on the couple's right hand. The bride and groom each publicly professes that they are marrying of their own free will and that they have not promised themselves to another. The priest places the crowns on the heads of newlyweds making them King and Queen. The two then sip wine three times to signify their union as one.
2. Traditional Wedding
Traditional Russian wedding celebrations usually last for two to three days involving lots of merry making and traditional practices. At the wedding reception, the newlyweds take a loaf of bread instead of the conventional wedding cake. The couple attempt to take a big bite from it at the same time with no hands allowed! There are lots of desserts and different kinds of cakes served.
Every wedding must always be officially registered with a civil ceremony at the Zapis Aktov Grazhdanskogo Sostoyania (ZAGS) office. http://vladivostok.usconsulate.gov/acsmarryrus.html
Popular Wedding Traditions And Customs Practiced In Russia
Russians have a rich sense of culture and their weddings are very beautiful and full of interesting cultural practices that will leave a foreigner wowed.
● The family of the bride “steals” and hides her before the ceremony and return the beautiful queen of the day, only after the groom has presented money or jewelry.
● The bride’s wedding dress should be white and should not have been made by the bride or her mother. A friend of the bride who is already married also places the first earring on the bride-to-be before the wedding ceremony to make her more beautiful.
● The groom is required to prove his love and commitment to his future bride by arriving at the church before her.
● Once rings are exchanged, the newlyweds are blessed and sip wine; they break their glasses for good luck. Guests shout “gorko,” which means “bitter” and the couple has to kiss to sweeten the wine.
● After a wedding ceremony the newlyweds have to take a tour of their city.
● Finally families of Russian brides traditionally give salt and bread to the couple to wish them prosperity and good luck.
Russian Wedding Superstitions
● The right hand is seen as good, while left has is considered as mischievous. For this reason the wedding ring is worn on the right hand.
● To avoid unhappiness, brides never wear their dress or shoes before the wedding day.
● Russian ladies believe that a marriage on the month of May is doomed to failure.
● If it rains on someone's wedding, it means they'll be wealthy.
● If during weddings, while putting the wedding ring on, the brides or the bridegrooms happens to drop it, this is a really bad omen.
● Taking your wedding ring off to show it to someone else means you are giving away your love and happiness to a stranger.
Russian Wedding Vocabulary to be Aware Of
Even though as a Russian bride’s husband-to-be, you may not fully understand the Russian language well, it is important that you are aware of the meaning of a few words and phrases as they will be used often before and during your wedding.
● сва́дьба – Wedding
● справля́ть сва́дьбу — To celebrate one's wedding
● вы́куп неве́сты- Paying bride’s ransom
● жени́х – Groom
● неве́ста – Bride
● молодожёны – Newlyweds
● тамада́ – Entertainer/Toastmaster
● загс - Registry office, ZAGS
● свиде́тельство о бра́ке - Marriage certificate
● сва́дебное кольцо́ - Wedding ring
● venchanie - Traditional ceremony in a church.
● Karavay- Wedding Loaf
The rich Russian culture makes their wedding ceremonies fun and very interesting. Find a Russian woman to make your bride and become part of this beautiful culture. Take the first step today by signing up for a free profile on RussianCupid.com.